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Martin Baker Gay Family

M.B.Gay property info


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I just uploaded the documents for M.B.Gay property in Missouri

There are 9 documents total.

From Don and Shirley Gay

"Mary Glynn,
 
Back in May 2017 we sent information about the location of the Martin Baker Gay 1850 house and cabinet shop on the West side of the old downtown Springfield Town Square.
 
Since we found the Greene County MO property deed transfer records to be so extensive, we then decided to try and locate exactly where the Martin Baker Gay family farm house was located on the original 400 acre property in the Murray portion of Cass Township, Greene County, MO.
 
As you may recall, Martin Baker Gay sold the entire 400-acre farm property on March 21, 1851 for $820 to D.D. Berry as recorded in the attached document found on Book/Page E295 of the Greene County records.
 
Then we found where D.D. Berry sold the entire 400-acre farm property on Jan 22, 1852 for $800 to Gibson Elmore Hardin (1799-1857) as recorded in the attached document found on Book/Page E414 and E415 of the Greene County records.
 
Since Gibson Elmore Hardin was a 52 year-old farmer, who had a wife and five grown male children, and several slaves, it was most likely the Hardin family initially moved into the old Martin Baker Gay farm house.
 
Unfortunately, Gibson Elmore Hardin died in testate on Nov 15, 1857 and the entire 400-acre farm property was left to his wife Margaret Alvira Cobb Hardin as recorded in the attached document found on Book/Page I182, I183 and I184 of the Greene County records.
 
During the Civil War, all five Hardin sons joined CSA, and because the Hardin family owned slaves, the family abandoned the farm in Missouri and went to live with relatives in Illinois.
 
Coincidently shortly before Martin Baker Gay died, his old 400-acre MO farm property was still intact as late as Feb 14, 1867, when Margaret Cobb Hardin sold the entire property to the widow of her youngest son David Gibson Hardin for $275 as recorded in the attached document found on Book/Page P233 of the Greene County records. However, there's no mention of any buildings being on the property, and it would seem logical the original Martin Baker Gay family home and any barns were probably destroyed during the Civil War. 
 
Unfortunately David Gibson Hardin died in 1864 during the Civil War, after which his wife Elizabeth Hardin married George Washington Arnold, and began selling off portions of the old Martin Baker Gay farm, which is why the attached 1876 map of Murray Township shows G.W. Arnold family has 160 acres, Oscar Farmer family has 120 acres, George Sloan family has 80 acres and Dennis Kime family has 40 acres, which accounts for all of the original 400-acre tract.
 
After the Civil War, one Hardin son John Thomas Hardin remained in Illinois and died there, but his son Gipson Elmore “Gip” Hardin returned to Greene County, MO and was given the 40 acres parcel in Section 27 of the old Martin Baker Gay farm in payment for the care of his Aunt Elizabeth Hardin Arnold until she died. The attached picture shows the 1903 house built on that 40 acre property that was part of the original Martin Baker Gay farm property. Unfortunately, this house was torn down in late 2000.
 
Looking on the City of Willard Missouri website:http://www.cityofwillard.org/
The first families to settle in what is now known as Willard Missouri were Oscar Farmer (1865), Dennis Kime and his wife (1854) and George and Elizabeth Sloan (1860) whose original homes are still in use today. However, what is ironic is that all three of these first families of Willard homes were built on portions of the old Martin Baker Gay farm property, as shown on the attached 1876 map of Murray Township.
 
All three original settlers homes can also be viewed on Google Maps by entering these following street addresses:
Oscar Farmer house at 210 W. Willey St. Willard, MO.
George Sloan house at 102 E Kime St. Willard, MO.
Dennis Kime house at 306 E Kime St. Willard, MO.
 
While researching the Hardin family of Greene County, MO, we happened to find on the Find a Grave website, a woman named Ginny Vocelli: gvocelli@comcast.net who is best described as the Mary Glynn of the Hardin family history. Like the Gay’s, this Hardin family was also from Henrico County, VA. 
 
In one of her first emails she mentioned a book “Opening the Ozarks” written by Marsha Hoffman Rising, who had spent sixteen years of her life writing about the first thousand families that settled in the Ozarks between 1835-1839, which included the Martin Baker Gay family, please see attached sheets.
 
Surprisingly she wrote about Martin Baker Gay being financially ruined by she believed William Terrell, and she mentions Mary Jenkins living with Evan and Nancy B. Jenkins Stewart family in adjoining Polk County.
 
The William Terrell family had their farm right across W. Willey St on the North side from the Martin Baker Gay farm. The Hardin family also bought the William Terrell family farm.
 
Just thought you might be interested.
 
Best regards,
 
Don & Shirley Gay"
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Well she was defnantly off on some of her history. Martha Married J.A. Masterson, not M.A Masterson. Ann's maiden name was Evans, not Stewart. A few errors there. I remember Martha saying they visited grandparents a county over before they left for Oregon, no mention that I remember of them living with them. Unless they moved out or there were 2 different set of grandparents??

It's a very basic history. Wish there were more details. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
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Thought this was interesting. Going off Mrs. Risings article. Found this obit in the Eugene papers.

The Eugene City guard., April 30, 1898

20180805_112325.jpg

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